Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technology for unambiguous and contactless identification of objects, good, animals or persons. It enables a quick and automatic data capture by means of radio waves, so that the information can be selected and transmitted considerably more quickly and conveniently. An RFID system thereby consists essentially of one or more RFID chips or tags and the suitable RFID reading device. RFID tags are ordinarily flat chips in different sizes, which are able to send data by radio waves to a reading device via an antenna. They have moreover one or more storage devices, which are able to store different quantities of data, depending upon the design. In addition to this, there are basically two types of RFID tags: active and passive. While the active tags are provided with their own power supply, and transmit until they are exhausted, the antenna with many RFID tags not only takes care of the transmission but also of the power supply. With this antenna, the tag, activated through the reading device, can generate the required energy for the data transmission practically by itself. These passive chips have an almost endless service life.
Based in addition on the RFID technology is the Near Field Communication (NFC). This wireless communication technology—known also as Nahfunktechnik—enables the data transmission of small quantities of data over short distances. RFID chips have a range of five to ten meters, while NFC can exchange data only at a maximal distance of ten centimeters, however. A first advantage of the NFC technology is thus that very small, inexpensive radio transmitters can be used, which only use little energy. On the other hand, the eavesdropping on NFC-Chips is almost impossible owing to the weak signal, and thus useful also for security-critical applications. The main difference to RFID is, however, that NFC makes possible the quick establishment of a connection of peer-to-peer networks. As with Bluetooth, the NFC devices find themselves automatically, and establish a connection to one another. In contrast to NFC, Bluetooth requires a short time span to connect itself to other devices, and usually requires the intervention of a user, who has to enter a corresponding PIN code for this purpose. RFID networks are based, for their part on so-called master/slave roles, since the chips are usually queried by the reading devices. Devices with NFC support, on the other hand, are able to work both in the active as well as in the passive mode. In the passive way of working, the NFC chips can even send identification data when the wearer device is switched off or does not have at its disposal an own power supply or this power supply has failed.
The RFID and NFC technology make accessible, in particular in the field of logistics, material administration, industry automats and service, new practical areas of application. Thus it is possible, for example, to store on the chips the price of goods, their shelf life, their place of manufacture, vendors the time of importation and much more, and to read it as required. The RFID or respectively NFC technology provides valuable services, for instance, also with the finding of lost pets in that animals are provided with so-called transponders with an injection under the skin. These microchips store an identification number. When a lost pet appears at a veterinarian or an animal shelter, the identification number can be read using a suitable device, whereby the animal can then be identified via a pet register and can be brought back to its owner.
However, the RFID or respectively NFC technology, in particular since the development of implantable chips, is playing a more and more important role also in the area of identification of persons. There exist today transponders the size of a grain of rice, packed in glass, which using local anesthesia can be injected in a pain-free way under the human skin and which cannot be discerned by eye. These radio-capable transponders contain an individual identity number which only occurs once. An independent tag is thus created. When this identification tag (either an RFID or an NFC tag) is held in the vicinity of a scanner, it emits this personal identity number, thanks to a weak current emanating from the scanner. The wanted signal is modulated via the feed signal whereby bidirectional communication is also made possible.
Especially important areas of application for implantable identification tags are health, finance and security fields, where the air is to ensure, on the one hand, quick and unambiguous identification of persons, and, on the other hand, the exclusion of not authorized persons. In the area of finance, the user of RFID and NFC chips should offer bank customers and users of credit cards the additional security that their accounts become usable for the first time when they seek access personally, and during the transaction are also physically present. These chips are also recommended to better secure access to government buildings, nuclear facilities, research laboratories, important offices, prisons and transport facilities such as airports and airplanes, ships and trans-ports with valuable objects or secret materials. On the other hand, by means of the RFID or respectively NFC tags it can be ensured that no persons leave certain premises or areas. In a prison for example, all inmates can be assigned identification tags, which are read at regular intervals, so that the location and the movements of persons can be followed in real time.
The drawbacks of these systems consist however in that in particular there is no guarantee that such an identification tag (both an RFID as well as also an NFC tag) with personal identification data is actually worn by the person referenced on the identification tag. Both RFID as well as NFC tags can be very simply injected under the skin or otherwise placed, but also correspondingly easily removed again and implanted in another person. Thus unauthorized persons can gain access to high facilities, for example, or use false identities in order to carry out payments with their credit cards.